Frequently Asked Questions

What does Wisconsin TechSearch do?

WTS’s primary business involves providing document/article delivery and book loans to persons that are NOT affiliated with the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, abstracts, government documents, theses, newspaper articles, dictionary definitions, date stamps, and more. If you don’t see it on our list – just ask!

Where do you find things?

WTS sources documents from all over the world. We primarily use the extensive collections of the University of Wisconsin – Madison. We also have access to other major U.S. university, college and public libraries, as well as the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine, the National Agriculture Library and Linda Hall Library. World sources include the British Library, sources from Germany, Russia, China and Japan, as well as other countries.

Why choose WTS?

WTS is a full-service, one stop document delivery source for all your information needs and has been successfully serving our clients since 1965. Our office is staffed by professional librarians and we specialize in the hard to find -- whether it’s an incomplete citation, an obscure journal not widely owned, or something tricky you lack the time and resources to dig for. We are also able to provide research to help answer your information needs.

When are you open?

Our office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Central time, Monday through Friday. We are closed on these holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve.

How do I order?

WTS requires new clients sign up for an account online. It’s easy and free. Advantages to having an account include: profile information (name, address, email) as well as copyright, referral and shipping preferences are saved and populate automatically with every order. With your own account you can login and see your order history and download articles and invoices directly from our website. We are able to set you up to either receive your own invoices, or firms with multiple requesters and/or locations can have consolidated invoices. Once your account is set up, click “order” and simply fill in the citation box with whatever information you have. You are welcome to put multiple citations in the field at once, or attach a list of citations via Word, PDF or Excel format.

What is copyright?

WTS follows the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. We cannot advise our clients on their obligations under copyright law, so you may wish to consult your company’s legal counsel if you have questions. WTS gives clients the option of assuming their own copyright compliance. If you would like WTS to pay copyright royalties on your behalf, we partner with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) and some individual publishers to pay the royalty fees as set by the publishers. Please note that royalty rates are solely determined by each publisher, and cost can vary greatly. Sometimes we are not able to obtain permission from the CCC, in which case you will be notified and may wish to pursue contacting the publisher directly to make payment.

How do I receive/retrieve my documents?

WTS will email you with a link to a PDF file. Simply click on the link and download your document! You can also login to your account and retrieve your documents directly. If requested, we can also fax or send via postal service.

How much will it cost?

You can find our pricing information here: https://wts.wisc.edu/prices. WTS offers a range of turnaround times to meet your deadlines, including 1 hour service. We also are aware that cost is an important consideration. Click here to see some average prices for different times/services to get an idea of typical cost. You can also set a maximum article cost when you order and WTS staff will contact you if the article would exceed it and by how much, or we can a provide estimates beforehand.

How do I pay?

WTS invoices monthly. You have the option of paying via our secure site with a credit card, sending a check in the mail, or initiating an ACH/bank transfer (please contact us for routing information). Individuals not affiliated with a company are required to prepay.

Can I cancel?

WTS considers all orders to be firm, but if you need to cancel please contact us as soon as possible. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Do you provide book loans?

Yes! WTS can provide book loans of items owned by the University of Wisconsin – Madison campus ONLY (with some restrictions). If it’s at another UW campus (Milwaukee or Eau Claire, for example) sorry, we are unable to loan. While we can ship to another address, we do not provide third-party loans. We offer an 8 week loan period, no renewals with your choice of shipping (FedEx or UPS). We can either use your courier account (FedEx or UPS), or ours, and bill you back.

Can WTS provide translations?

No, unfortunately this is not a service we offer. We can check to see if there might be an existing English translation published elsewhere, or try and obtain an English abstract. If needed, we can suggest some translation services. Foreign language citations are always welcome.

I need a declaration/affidavit, is that something WTS can do?

Yes, WTS staff are able to provide declarations for material owned in print by the University of Wisconsin – Madison only. Generally, we charge $100 per declaration/affidavit plus any article delivery and copyright fees, if applicable. Declarations are signed and sent by email. Please contact us for more information.

What about ___?

Please feel free to contact us about anything you might be looking for. We are happy to look into it and get back to you with the possibilities or if we can’t help, refer you to someone who can. We look forward to hearing from you!